The subject invention pertains to rechargeable appliances, and more particularly a cordless vacuum cleaner storing and recharging system.
The invention is particularly applicable to an electrical connection system for supplying power to the motor of a cordless hand vacuum from a battery pack, and then subsequently recharging the battery pack when stored in the recharger device, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader applications such as any type of electrical connection system requiring selective connection to either a battery pack or a recharging device and may be advantageously employed in such other environments and applications.
Cordless hand vacuum cleaner systems are well known and have typically comprised a separable vacuum cleaner unit which can be stored and recharged in a charger base provided with an electrical connection system to communicate power, typically from a standard AC outlet, through a step-down transformer to the batteries. Usually, the storing and charging base will include male terminals which extend outwardly of a base surface and are received in an electrical receptacle of the vacuum cleaner. Accordingly, it is necessary that the receptacles be exposed for ready reception of the charging terminals.
Further, hand vacuums have typically employed a battery pack requiring wiring connection to both the cleaning unit receptacles, the motor and a switch. Such wiring connections are normally undesirable in the home appliance industry where simplicity of manufacture and consequent ease in assembly are greatly valued. Such prior art systems thus will usually include some wire and plug arrangement between the charger base contacts and the battery pack, and then further wiring up to the switch and the motor. All of such wiring and plug arrangements are undesirable for cost and assembly reasons.
Another problem identified in prior art systems involve the connection schemes between the vacuum cleaner and the recharging base. Where an exposed receptacle is included to receive male terminals from the recharging base, not only are such exposed receptacle contacts undesirable from a safety point, but they tend to further collect dust and dirt, particularly in a vacuum cleaning operation.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved device which overcomes all of the above-referred to problems and others to provide a new cordless, rechargeable vacuum cleaning system which is simple in design, economical to manufacture, and which provides improved safety over conventional systems.